The Experience

Drive 20-minutes south of Pau, the last, narrow 10k winds up, down and finally up, past old and newer homes (watch out for wild boar) to this friendly retreat with rustic stylish rooms and serene views. You don’t have to be sporty to stay here but you’ve expert advice on hand if you are: Tobias knows every trail and piste and wants guests to have the best, adventurous fun.

He and Zayne gladly give a steer on restaurants and wine tastings too, this is Jurancon country, and as well as chats over breakfast – indoors or out, continental style with cereals, fruit (their figs and sometimes peaches), great coffee, bread and yogurt, home-made muffins and cakes- there are evening drinks and canapés most Fridays.

Walk 25 minutes into the village for a good meal, explore endless trails and set off on great adventures with suggestions from Tobias.

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We think you'll love

Exploring awesome mountains, rivers, beaches

Cooling off in the pool

Touring local vineyards

You should know

No communal living area, yet

You need a car to get about

No bar in the local village

Essentials

Swimming pool

Hot tub

Garden

Open fire / woodburner

Breakfast included

Breakfast available

Meals available

Vegetarian meals

Oven

Parking on premises

Free parking nearby

Accessible by public transport

WiFi

Television

Spa

Central heating

Limited mobility

Wheelchair access

Mobile reception

Hob

Bar

Barbecue

Licensed premises

Paid parking nearby

Air conditioning

Relaxation areas

Washing machine

Tennis court

Microwave oven

No smoking

Credit cards

Working farm

Owner has pets

Dishwasher

Pets welcome

Family friendly

Baby monitor

Books and toys

Children welcome

Babies welcome

Stair gates

High chair

Cot available

Nearby

Pub/bar within 3 miles

Restaurant within 3 miles

Shop within 3 miles

Activities

Bikes available

Food courses

Kayaking

Other courses

Sailing

Surfing

Wild swimming

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Information & pricing

Booking information

Check in

4pm-8pm

Check out

By 10.30am

Booking restrictions

Minimum stay: 2 nights.

Closed

1 November - 1 April.

No smoking

Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.

Owner has pets

Animals living on the property

Meals

Restaurant 2km.

Pricing

Nightly price

from €80

Surcharges

Singles €80-€90.

3 Doubles

From €80

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Accommodation

Reviews

Great place in beautiful countryside. Lovely pool & view. Great cats. Lovely room & good shower! Very friendly couple.Tobias was incredibly helpful about how to best spend our 1 full day in the Pyrenees. (Particularly as we woke up to dark skies - found sunshine & spectacular scenery high up in Pyrenees above the cloud). Also helpful about other stuff & wished we were staying longer. Found great wine at his recommendation at lovely nearby village on the Camino way. Good place to go if outdoors/biking/hiking/running is your thing too. Breakfasts delicious with homemade baking!

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Norman, NorwichAug 2019

We booked 3 nights at Secret Pyrenees and wished we could have stayed longer. The rooms are beautifully decorated with quality finishes and there is excellent attention to detail. It is a renovated French farm house with lovely stone walls so the rooms were very quiet.
Breakfast was fabulous with fresh, home-baked food which was served in a lovely dining space in the main part of the house. Guests have access to seating areas in the garden and around the large swimming pool. It’s easy to relax there!
The hosts, Zane and Tobias are friendly, accommodating and very helpful in every possible way.

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Jill, MelbourneJun 2019

Secret Pyrenees is a glorious spot to bookend your days in the Béarn.
Perfectly placed for adventure sports in the mountains or on the rivers,
enjoying the Basque coast, or taking a tour of the local vineyards. Return in the evenings to picnic, drink a glass of wine and take a dip
in the pool watching the swallows fill the evening sky, the night fall and the
mountains fade to black.

The neighbourhood

The grounds and mature garden here are vast and lovely, with south westerly views of the Ossau valley; owls, bats, deer and red kites live here; a tunnel of roses leads to the swimming pool. And Jurancon vineyards are all around; walk to Domaine Tinou for a tasting. It’s a five-minute drive or 25-minute walk to Lasseube for provisions or an auberge meal (closed Mondays). As for activities: trail-run, ski and cycle the cols - kayak the Gave d’Ossau…

Local points of interest from Tobias & Zayne Mews

We're situated in the heart of the wine growing region of the Jurancon - a delicious sweet wine, traditionally used to anoint the kings of France.

For cycling fanatics, the Bearn Pyrenees is paradise. The Tour de France passes through the region every year and Pau (20 mins away) has hosted the Tour over 70 times. The infamous Col d'Aubisque is 40 kms away.

If you like cheese - your'e come to the right place. The Bearn Pyrenees is home to the delicious Ossau-Iraty. You can go cheese tasting in many of the farms, or follow the Route de Fromage across the Pyrenees.

We are situated at the head of three valleys - the Ossau, Aspe and Baretous. Each of these valleys harbours hundreds of kilometres of epic hiking paths to walk or trail run along.

Nearby Pau (20 mins) is a bastion of Englishness. It's home to the first golf club to be created outside of Great Britain, a real tennis-court, a first class hippodrome, a Philomonic Orchestra, a beautiful Chateau and panoramic views of the Pyrenees.

The Bearn is neatly sandwiched between the Haut Pyrenees and the Pays Basque - offering the ability to go to the beach one day and the next head up into the mountains. Or you can pop over the border to nearby Spain (1h10mins) where another world awaits.

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Introducing

Tobias & Zayne Mews

Vivacious and engaging Tobias is British and Zayne is South African; they speak French and Spanish fluently and have forged strong links with the local Béarn community. Welcoming guests here allows them to pursue the sports they love, to use their languages and inspire others to enjoy the Pyrenees whether in a sporting, leisure or cultural way. Tobias is an adventure sports expert and knows the area back to front. His mum has a house here too.